Huarpean languages

Last updated
Huarpean
Warpean
Geographic
distribution		 Cuyo Province, Argentina
Ethnicity Huarpe people
Extinct after 1630s
Linguistic classification Macro-Warpean  ?
Macro-Jibaro  ?
  • Huarpean
Subdivisions
Language codes
ISO 639-3 None (mis)
Glottolog huar1251
Huarpean language map.svg
Map of the Huarpean languages

Huarpe (Warpe) was a small language family of central Argentina (historic Cuyo Province) that consisted of at least two closely related languages. They are traditionally considered dialects, and include Allentiac (Alyentiyak, Huarpe) and Millcayac (Milykayak). A third, Puntano of San Luis, was not documented before the languages became extinct.

Contents

Kaufman (1994) tentatively linked Huarpe to the Mura-Matanawi languages in a family he called Macro-Warpean. However, he noted that "no systematic study" had been made, so that it is best to consider them independent families. Swadesh and Suárez both connected Huarpe to Macro-Jibaro, a possibility that has yet to be investigated.

Varieties

Loukotka (1968)

Varieties classified by Loukotka (1968) as part of the Huarpe language cluster (all unattested unless noted otherwise, i.e. for Chiquiyama and Comechingon): [2]

Mason (1950)

Varieties of the Huarpe-Comechingon linguistic group cited from Canals Frau (1944) by Mason (1950): [5]

  • Huarpe-Comechingon
    • Allentiac (Huarpe of San Juan)
    • Millcayac (Huarpe of Mendocino)
    • Puntano Huarpe
    • Puelche of Cuyo
    • Ancient Pehuenche
    • Southern Comechingón (Camiare)
    • Northern Comechingón (Henia)
    • Olongasta (Southern Rioja) ?

Pericot y Garcia (1936) lists Zoquillam, Tunuyam, Chiquillan, Morcoyam, Diamantino (Oyco), Mentuayn, Chom, Titiyam, Otoyam, Ultuyam, and Cucyam. [5]

  • Comechingón varieties [5]
    • Comechingón
      • Main
      • Tuya
      • Mundema
      • Cáma
      • Umba
    • Michilingwe
    • Indama

Phonology

The two languages had apparently similar sound systems, and were not dissimilar from Spanish, at least from the records we have. Barros (2009) reconstructs the consonants as follows: [6]

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive p t k
Affricate ts tʃ
Fricative s ʃ h
Semivowel w j ( ɰ )
Lateral l ʎ
Trill r

Allentiac had at least six vowels, written a, e, i, o, u, ù. The ù is thought to represent the central vowel [ ɨ ].

Vocabulary

Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Huarpean languages. [2]

gloss Allentiac Millcayac Henia
onelkanegui
twoyemenyemeni
threepultunpultuni
headyoto
toothtuxetex
waterkahaaka
firekʔtekketek
suntektaxumek
treezaʔateye
maizetelagtelam
birdzurúzurulemin

References

  1. ↑ Canals Frau, Salvador (1944-04-18). "El grupo Huarpe-Comechingón". Anales del Instituto de Etnografía Americana (Año 1944, Tomo 5).
  2. 1 2 Loukotka, Čestmír (1968). Classification of South American Indian languages . Los Angeles: UCLA Latin American Center.
  3. ↑ "EL IDIOMA DE LOS COMEGHINGONES y SANA VIRONES" (PDF). www.letras.edu.ar.
  4. ↑ "Lenguas Comechingona y Sanavirona". pueblosoriginarios.com. Retrieved 2025-02-12.
  5. 1 2 3 Mason, John Alden (1950). "The languages of South America". In Steward, Julian (ed.). Handbook of South American Indians (PDF). Vol. 6. Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143. pp. 157–317.
  6. ↑ Barros 2009, p. 11.
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